Automaton-dancer



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

ISAAC S. OLOUGH, OF BROOKLYN, AND VINCENT FOUNTAIN, JR., OF NORTH SHORE, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATON-DANCER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,759, dated August 9, 1864.

?) (LZZ whom it may concern:

13e it known that we, I. S. CLOUGH, of Brooklyn. in the county ot' Kings and State of New `York, and VlNcEN'r FOUNTAIN, Ot' North Shore, in the county of Richmond and State aforesaid, have invented a new and Improved Dancing Automaton; and we do here-l by declare that the followingjs a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable any one skilled in the art. to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this spccitication.

The drawing represents a perspective view of our invention.

This invention consists in suspending a iigurc with jointed limbs from an elastic cord stretched between uprights over a suitable platform in such a manner that by touching the cord with. the ingerthe feet of the jointed figure are caused to touch the platform, and

-it' the taps on the cord are repeated in quick succession the figure begins to dance on the platform.

The invention consists also in the employment or use, in combination with the dancing figure, of a metallic disk supported in the center in such a manner that the feetof the jointed igure on striking said disk produce a musical sound, and the value of the toy is thereby enhanced.

A represents a figure of a man or other subject, made of wood or any other suitable material, with jointed legs andarms and painted with bright colors to give to the whole a pleasing appearance. This figure is suspended from an elastic cord, BR, which is stretched between two uprglt` rising from the plat-- form D. The height ot' the cord above the platform is such that the feet of the figure A nearly touch said platform, and that by touching the cord lightly with the finger the feet of the figure are brought in contact with the platform. By imparting to the cord repeated taps in quick succession the ligure A begins to dance on the platform in the most comical manner, and this dancing motion continues as long as the motion ofthe cord is continued.

In order to enhance the effect of the toy and to give it still greater value, particulaily in the hands of children, we have added to the platform D ametallic disk, E, supported by a stud, a, in its center, so that the same, when struck by a stick or hammer, will produce a musical sound. This disk is placed under the feet of the jointed figure at such a distance that the same will not touch it when the cord is at rest; but if by taps on the cord the Iigure is set in motion its feet strike the disk and a pleasing sound is produced, imitating the music accompanying a real dancer.

The platform D may be embellished in various ways-for instance, a hand,.b, may lre attached to the stud a, playing over a series of compartments marked off on the platform around the disk, and if suitable words are written in these compartments an entertaining` game can be combined with the dancing automaton, and, in Order to prove that the dancer is a loyal man, a national Hag, F, is attached tO the platform D.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is

Suspending the iigurcA fromyan elastic cord, B, stretched between uprights C, overthe sounding-disk E, attached to the platform D, so that the motion of the figure is produced by the swaying of the cord and the contact ofthe feet of the ligure with the bell or disk produces a musical sound.

ISAAC S.l CLOUGH. VINCENT FOUNTAIN, JR.

' Witnesses:

THEO. TUscn, GEO. W. REED. 

